


8th Century

by saarhua



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Platonic Soulmates, The Odyssey References, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28900656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saarhua/pseuds/saarhua
Summary: “I missed you too, Niki.” He pulled away, looking down at her dearly with a proud smile on his face. He treasured their friendship. She had a refreshing, yet nurturing soul, it matched perfectly with his. Platonic soulmates, one could say.Wilbur’s eyes shifted to her hair. “Pink?” he murmured, grabbing a strand of her newly dyed hair. He twirled it around his finger, examining it’s color.She swatted his arm away lightheartedly, stifling out a chuckle. “Yes, pink.”“Ah, interesting,” he teased, watching her cheeks turn a light shade of crimson red. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at his stupidity. He hadn’t changed, not one bit.Or: Time traveler Wilbur meets with Niki at his library after his adventure to the 8th century.
Kudos: 11





	8th Century

**Author's Note:**

> just a reminder that this is completely platonic :)
> 
> after i heard about niki's mc skin wearing wilburs cape i just had to write this hehe
> 
> insp by tbhyourelame's cryptid au

As Niki walked into the grand library, she was greeted by the friendly presence of all the books, each one guarding thousands of stories and literature from the past. Taking in a whiff, she smiled at the familiarity. The smell never got old. 

She passed the tall, mahogany shelves that reached the ceilings, always brimmed with books. Her fingers brushed over the rusted covers as she scanned the dimly lit room for one person, Wilbur. 

Niki had received his handwritten letter a few days prior, she held the slightly tattered paper in her grip while she strolled. He had requested for her to meet him at the library, as he was returning from his venture of the 8th century. 

Though Wilbur had the technology to send a digital message (that might’ve been much quicker), he always preferred the writing of an inked feather on parchment paper. After spending so much time in the mid-19th century, he’d been so accustomed to writing his manuscripts. 

After almost getting lost, she finally spotted him in the corner of an isle, nose buried deep into ancient writings. His eyebrows were furrowed, he was probably deciphering hieroglyphics from years ago. 

“Wilbur?”

He looked up and adjusted his glasses. Immediately, a toothy grin plastered on his face. After scrambling off the floor, she noticed the height difference was slightly jarring— Niki never got used to it.

“You came.” His soft voice was comforting to hear. He had promised he’d be back earlier, but his visit to the past was far prolonged, due to some... ‘conflicts’, he told her. 

Wilbur didn’t hesitate to pull her into a tight hug, one long overdue. He smelled of warm cinnamon spices and vanilla, the ambrosial smell lingered in the air around them. “I missed you, Wil,” she mumbled into his chest. 

“I missed you too, Niki.” He pulled away, looking down at her dearly with a proud smile on his face. He treasured their friendship. She had a refreshing, yet nurturing soul, it matched perfectly with his. Platonic soulmates, one could say.

Wilbur’s eyes shifted to her hair. “Pink?” he murmured, grabbing a strand of her newly dyed hair. He twirled it around his finger, examining it’s color.

She swatted his arm away lightheartedly, stifling out a chuckle. “Yes, pink.” 

“Ah, interesting,” he teased, watching her cheeks turn a light shade of crimson red. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at his stupidity. He hadn’t changed, not one bit. 

They walked over to a nearby table, right next to the bay window overseeing the field of poppies. Wilbur led the way because he knew the library like the back of his hand. To any normal mortal, it would be hard to follow with all the passages and isles positioned in such a way to confuse one. He designed every nook and cranny, so he was familiar with it.

  
  
  


After settling into their seats, She made sure to catch him up on modern terms and trends while he had been gone. It was rewarding, but difficult to explain certain things to him. He was book-smart, but not exactly ‘hip’.

“Poggers?” Wilbur repeated, she burst out laughing at his reaction.

“What on god's green earth is that, Niki?” She held a finger up to her lips, shushing him. His outburst had managed to turn a few heads, disrupting their reading.

“Sorry, sorry,” he whispered, still in fraught. He ruffled his hair, overwhelmed by how much changed had occurred since he had last visited. “God, times have changed, Niki.”

She nudged his shoulder playfully. “Hey, you haven’t told me at all where you’ve been! It’s about time you tell me what you’ve been up to,” she narrowed her eyes, “and what took you so long to come back.”

Wilbur's eyes lit up with passion, he struggled to find a place to start. “Oh right, sorry about that. Well you see, something strange occurred where I was at.”

“It better have been good enough to hold you back 3 months,” she retorted, crossing her arms.

“Oh, there’s plenty of stuff I need to tell you. Have you ever heard of…” He paused dramatically, looking directly into her eyes, “The Odyssey?”

“Yeah…Oh.” A gasp escaped her lips, “Wil, you’re kidding me. Did you really go to-” She stumbled on her own words, not believing what was coming out of her own mouth.

He grinned from ear to ear, “I’m really not kidding. Here,” he handed her a dusted book, binded weakly— it was obvious it was handmade. The title read ‘Diary’.

Niki held it in her hands with delicacy, gawking over the book. She flipped through the yellow-tainted pages, briefly skimming each entry. 

Her eyes followed the inked, cursive writing. Every single day he was in the past, he wrote about it. His experiences were all written into this book to keep forever.

“I have no words, how did you manage to do all this?” Niki queried, refusing to tear her eyes off the pages.

Wilbur slumped into his seat, “that’s a long story, Niki.”

“Well, tell me!” She was eager to listen about it all— how he’d manage to travel all the way to the eighth century. How did he survive? What role did he play? Who did he meet? He was a bloody time traveler, of course she wanted to know!

His eyebrow arched, “you really want to know?”

“Obviously,” she stated, watching the corners of his lips curl into a smile, “now tell me!”

He was pleasantly surprised to see her so interested. 

“Alright, if you insist” he said with a smirk, stealing the diary from Niki's hand. Wilbur licked his thumb and flicked to the very first page.

“Let me start from the very beginning…”

  
  
  
  


Wilbur had a way with story-telling, making everything seem suspenseful and magical. Anyone within a few feet would be captivated by his capabilities. His vocabulary was beyond sophisticated, painting each description of his voyage perfectly.

Niki sat for hours on end, listening to it all. Never once, did she feel bored or tired of his soothing voice. She could listen for countless hours more. His voice soothed the itches in her brain, bringing her to an eased state.

A few hours in, he asked, “are you still listening?” 

She lifted her chin off her hand, “yeah, of course!” Niki wasn’t quite sure why Wilbur was always conscious of whether he was boring her off, but she always made sure to reassure him otherwise.

“Alright,” the worry lines on his forehead relaxed, and he continued on with the story. Niki grinned, patting his shoulder.

Wilbur talked until the golden sun had started to set, and the chatters of people surrounding them had quieted. Wilbur told her every last detail about the Trojan War, and the deep truths of the men he had encountered.

“And… that’s what happened,” he said, shutting the diary after reading the last page. “That was my trip to the 8th century.”

“Wow… that was amazing, Wil,” she whispered in awe.

They muttered and chatted until the clock struck midnight. Even though so much time had passed, Niki felt torn that it was already over. If she could go back in time like Wilbur, she would definitely spend a chunk of it reliving her moments with him.

Packing up to leave, Niki sighed. “Wilbur?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to leave again?”

He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Possibly, why?”

Her heart sank. She knew she would miss him an awful bunch, but she also knew that this was Wilbur's passion. The flare in his eyes while he explained his stories was enough to tell.

“If this is our last time before a while, I just wanna say that I’ll miss you.”

“Don’t be so sorrowful, I promise I won’t take long.”

Her eyes lit up, “promise?”

“Promise. And while I’m gone, you can keep this,” he said as he shrugged off his umber cloak, folded it in half, and handed it to Niki. 

She gasped in delight, wearing it immediately. The long sleeves went well past her arms, she flopped them around and giggled. 

He hummed in surprise, “next time we meet, I’ll expect to see you wearing it.”

Niki nodded, locking eyes with him one last time. “Alright.”

“I’ll see you around Niki.”

Wilbur turned the other way, walking towards the exit of the library. She stood, acknowledging his presence one last time. Niki wished the best for him, always.

“Bye,” she whispered, but he was already out the door.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> heyooo this was fun to write! 
> 
> twitter @saarhua go yell at me or smt idk


End file.
